2012 Presidential Election: The Democratic Process

Last night America elected Barack Obama for a second term as President of the United States. Over 118 million (10+10) people participated in this election by filling out their ballots and casting their votes.

In his victory speech, President Obama addressed why politics and elections matter, saying: ”Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight. And it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter–the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.”

May we rejoice in the fact that we can speak freely in this country, because (while we may forget) the value of that right is so profound that it cannot be measured in powers of ten.

Congratulations to all who took part in the democratic process this election.